A wannabe gangster thinkin' he's a wise guy
Rob another bank, he's a sock 'em in the eye guy
Tank head, Mr. Bonnie and Clyde guy
Look him in the eye, he's not my kinda guy
Never be confusion proof-uh
Pudding's sweet but too aloof-uh
Orange-eyed girl with a backslide dew said
Yo homie, who you talkin' to?
A backed up paddywagon mackin' on a cat's ass
One uppercut to the cold upper middle class
Born to storm on boredom's face
Add a little lust to the funky-ass Flea bass
Most in the race just lose their grace
The blackest hole in all of space
Crooked as a hooker, now suck my thumb
Anybody wanna come get some?

(If you have to ask) you'll never know
Funky motherfuckers will not be told to go
(If you have to ask) you'll never know
Funky motherfuckers will not be told to go-o-o-o

Don't ask me why I'm flyin' so high
Mr. Bubble meets Superfly in my third eye
Searchin' for a soul bride, she's my freakette
Soak it up inside, deeper than a secret
Much more than meets the eye
To the funk I fall into my new ride
My hand, my hand
Magic on the one is a medicine man
Thinkin' of a few
Taboos that I ought to kill
Dancin' on their face
Like a stage in Vaudeville
I feel so good, can't be understood
Booty of a hoodlum rockin' my red hood

(If you have to ask) you'll never know
Funky motherfuckers will not be told to go
(If you have to ask) you'll never know
Funky motherfuckers will not be told to go-o-o-o


Lyrics submitted by shut, edited by Mellow_Harsher, toasti1169

If You Have to Ask Lyrics as written by John Anthony Frusciante Michael Balzary

Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

If You Have to Ask song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

28 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    Great song, I'm kind of confused on the meaning though. Perhaps yet another stream-of-conciousness song as so many songs on BSSM are?

    theatrepunk03on July 25, 2002   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
The Spy
Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Album art
Step
Ministry
Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”